30 ACTION OF HALOGEN COMPOUNDS OF ETHYL AND AMYL 
3-552 grains, dried at 212°, gave 
9:200 ,, carbonic acid, and 
2095 5, ‘water. 
Experiment. Calculation. 
Carbon, - 70°63 70:79 One 240 
Hydrogen, . a 6°55 6-20 Tere 21 
Nitrogen, 5 . 4:10 N 14 
Oxygen, : i 18°91 0, 64 
100-00 100-00 339 
A glance at the result, and the appended calculation of the numbers required by 
the formula of papaverine, leaves no doubt as to the base of the salt. I was per- 
fectly satisfied as to its nature, from its appearance and some peculiar well 
marked reactions characteristic of papaverine ; thus, with strong sulphuric acid 
it yielded a splendid purple fluid, at the instant of solution, and when heated 
with a little nitric acid, became converted into a mass of yellow crystals, which 
are nitrate of nitropapaverine, described by Dr ANDERSON.* 
Behaviour of Narcotine with Iodide of Ethyl. 
Hydriodate of Narcotine—The next alkaloid of opium submitted to examina- 
tion was narcotine; and the following experiment shews its deportment to be per- 
fectly similar to that of papaverine. 
Some narcotine in fine powder was heated in a sealed tube with absolute 
alcohol and iodide of ethyl; after about ten minutes exposure to a temperature 
of 212°, the whole of the base disappeared; but to insure complete decomposition, 
the heat was continued some twenty minutes longer. When the tube had cooled, 
and stood a short time, groups of four-sided colourless prisms appeared. On 
opening the vessel, and submitting these to examination, they proved to be un- 
changed narcotine, while their mother liquor was found to contain an hydriodate. 
The excess of iodide of ethyl and alcohol was accordingly distilled off, and the re- 
maining syrup tested as to its nature; it was almost entirely soluble in boiling 
water, leaving only a little narcotine, and the solution contained the hydrio- 
date of that base. 
This salt is deposited, from a concentrated fluid, as an oil which does not become 
crystalline, and when its solution is evaporated, spontaneously or at 212°, an oily 
mass is also obtained, which does not crystallize from alcohol, or ether, or a 
mixture of these substances. Owing to its occurring only in this amorphous 
state, I did not attempt to submit it to analysis; but its solution yielded to 
ammonia a precipitate easily to be recognised as narcotine, by its characters and 
chemical reactions; and in order fully to substantiate the nature of the base, 
the hydriodate was converted into a platinum salt in the following manner :— 
* Loe, cit, 
